Palm roller for dreadlock formation

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present invention provide a powered palm roller adapted to treat dreadlocks. In an embodiment of the invention, a powered palm roller is adapted to treat dreadlocks and includes dual holding parts each with a pad assembly affixed thereto at a distal end. The palm roller also includes an articulating joint disposed at an opposite end of each of the holding parts permitting a closing of the pad assemblies towards one another. Of note, at least one of the pad assemblies has an outwardly facing concave form, and at least one of the pad assemblies is slidably mounted to a corresponding one of the dual holding parts and actuatable back and forth along a portion of the corresponding one of the dual holding parts in consequence of a motor disposed within the corresponding one of the dual holding parts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to hair styling equipment and more particularly to a hair styling tool for forming dreadlocks.

Description of the Related Art

Dreadlocks, also locs, dreads, or in Sanskrit, Jata, are intentionally matted and sculpted ropes of hair. The exact date and group of people that begot locks is hard to pinpoint, but some scholars note that dreadlocks may have come into vogue as long ago as 2,500 BCE according to various practiced various religions. In this regard, the first written evidence of dreadlock usage can be found in what is now the Vedic scriptures of India, which show the deity Shiva wearing dreadlock stylized hair. Indeed, the term “jaTaa” of the Vedic scriptures means “twisted lock of hair”. As well, dreadlocks were known in ancient Egypt as is evident from mummies discovered with hair still intact including dreadlocks. Finally, as many will realize, in the Old Testament, interpretations indicate that Samson had seven dreadlocks that, when cut by Delilah, resulted in the loss by Samson of his superhuman strength.

Various methods are used to encourage the formation of dreadlocks. Those methods include backcombing, braiding and rolling. While leaving long hair to its own devices—foregoing brushing, combing or cutting the hair—will generally result in tangles and mats, the formation of evenly sized ropes requires careful planning and maintenance. With respect to the former, the “Neglect”, “Organic” or “Patience” method may result in an arrangement of dreadlocks that are patterned to a degree, the hair becoming separated in “chunks” into fairly determinate sections after washing. In the latter instance, though, a variety of other starter methods have been developed to offer greater control over the general appearance of dreadlocks. Together, these alternative techniques are more commonly referred to as “salon” or “manicured” dreadlocks.

As with the “Neglect” method, salon methods rely on hair naturally matting over a period of months to gradually form dreadlocks. The difference is in the initial technique by which loose hair is encouraged to form a rope-like shape. Whereas freeform dreadlocks can be created by simply refraining from combing or brushing hair and occasionally separating matted sections, salon dreadlocks use tool techniques to form the basis of the starter, immature set of dreadlocks. Consequently, a “matured” set of salon dreadlocks will not appear the same as a set of dreadlocks that have been started with neglect or freeform. For some hair types, salon dreadlocks can be formed by evenly sectioning and styling the loose hair into braids, coils, twists, or using a procedure called “dread perming” specifically used for straight hair. For other hair types, “backcombing” and “twist and rip” are methods used to achieve starter dreadlocks.

One common method for creating dreadlocks is to initially wash the hair with a residue-free shampoo and then allowing the hair to air dry throughout the day. Then, a mixture of oil and water is sprayed onto the forming dreadlocks periodically every few days in order to prevent the dreadlocks from drying out and becoming frayed. Each day, a crochet hook or tweezers may be used to tuck stray hairs from the dreadlocks back into the dreadlocks. Finally, in order to maintain a smooth shape of each dreadlock, each dreadlock is rolled by hand by pressing each dread into the palm of the hand in order to encourage the hairs to roll up into the dreadlock. Plainly, such can be an intensive, manual process.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to dreadlock formation and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for a powered palm roller adapted to treat dreadlocks. In an embodiment of the invention, a powered palm roller is adapted to treat dreadlocks and includes dual holding parts each with a pad assembly affixed thereto at a distal end. The palm roller also includes an articulating joint disposed at an opposite end of each of the holding parts permitting a closing of the pad assemblies towards one another. Of note, at least one of the pad assemblies has an outwardly facing concave form, and at least one of the pad assemblies is slidably mounted to a corresponding one of the dual holding parts and actuatable back and forth along a portion of the corresponding one of the dual holding parts in consequence of a motor disposed within the corresponding one of the dual holding parts.

In one aspect of the embodiment, the concave form of each of the pad assemblies is a concave shaped rubber pad. In another aspect of the embodiment, at least one of the pad assemblies has a heating element disposed therein. In yet another embodiment of the invention, both of the pad assemblies are slidably mounted to a different one of the dual holding parts and each of the pad assemblies are actuated by the motor back and forth along the different one of the dual holding parts, but with one of the pad assemblies being actuated in a direction that is opposite to the other. In even yet another embodiment of the invention, at least one of the pad assemblies is slidably mounted to one end of a shaft with another end of the shaft being affixed to a flywheel of the motor.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a powered palm roller adapted to treat dreadlocks;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of a rubber pad adapted for use with the palm roller of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the palm roller of FIG. 1 rolling a dreadlock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide for a powered palm roller adapted to treat dreadlocks. The palm roller includes dual holding parts each with a pad assembly affixed thereto. The dual holding parts are coupled to one another with an articulating joint at a distal end of each of the holding parts. Each pad assembly may be affixed to a corresponding one of the dual holding parts and includes at least one rubber pad having an outwardly facing concave form. The rubber pad additionally may be heated. One of the pad assemblies may be slidably secured to a corresponding one of the dual holding parts and actuated by a motor back and forth along the corresponding one of the dual holding parts. Optionally, another one of the pad assemblies may also be slidably secured to a different one of the dual holding parts and actuated by the motor back and forth along the different one of the dual holding parts in a direction that is opposite to that of the one of the pad assemblies. In this way, when a dreadlock is placed within an area defined by the concave forms of the pad assemblies, the movement of one or more of the pad assemblies back and forth while pressing the dreadlock into the concave forms acts to roll the dreadlock into better form.

In further illustration, FIG. 1 is a side view of a powered palm roller adapted to treat dreadlocks. As can be seen from FIG. 1, a palm roller 100 includes two different holding parts 110 coupled to one another at an articulating joint 150. Two different pad assemblies 120 are affixed to respectively different ones of the holding parts 110. Each of the different pad assemblies 120 has an outwardly facing concave form 120A. Optionally, a heating element 180 may be disposed within each of the different pad assemblies 120 and energized by heating source 140 powered by a power source 190 which may be a transformed alternating current power source, or a direct current battery source.

At least one of the pad assemblies 120 may be slidably mounted to a corresponding one of the holding parts 110. In this regard, a shaft 170 may be secured to an inwardly facing portion of a corresponding one of the pads 120. The shaft 170 at an opposite end may be secured to a flywheel of a motor 130 powered by the power source 190. The motor 130 may be actuated by actuator 160 and, in consequence, heating source 140 also may be actuated by the actuator 160. The operation of the motor 130 causes the flywheel to alternately articulate about an arc so a to drive the back and forth motion of the shaft 170 and therefore the back and forth motion of one of the pad assemblies 120 secured to the shaft 170. Optionally, both bad assemblies 120 may be slidably secured to respectively different shafts 170, but configured to move back and forth oppositely to one another.

FIG. 2 is a detail view of a rubber pad adapted for use with the palm roller of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a pad assembly 200 includes a rigid body 230 such as a body formed from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. The rigid body 230 envelopes a rubber concave outwardly facing surface 220. The rubber concave outwardly facing surface 220 in turn includes a heating element 210. The rubber bad may be secured to a holding part (not shown) by way of an inwardly facing portion of the rigid body 230.

The use of the palm roller of FIG. 1 in concert with the pad assembly of FIG. 2 is best illustrated by FIG. 3 which is a perspective view of the palm roller of FIG. 1 rolling a dreadlock. As shown in FIG. 3, each holding arm 310 coupled together at an articulating joint 350 of the palm roller 300 is placed in a closed position by driving each of the holding arms 310 towards one another. As the holding arms 310 are driven towards one another, each of the corresponding pad assemblies 320 contacts one another in order to form an enclosed space defined by the concave surface 320A of each of the pad assemblies 320, thereby compressing a dreadlock 390 therein.

Subsequently, the actuation of the actuator 360 causes rubber pads of each of the pad assemblies 320 to heat and also for each of the pad assemblies 320 to move back and forth oppositely to one another whilst the dreadlack remains compressed therebetween. Consequently, the dreadlock is rolled by the oppositely moving pad assemblies 320 while subjected to heating.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Having thus described the invention of the present application in detail and by reference to embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims as follows: 

I claim:
 1. A powered palm roller adapted to treat dreadlocks, the palm roller comprising: dual holding parts each with a pad assembly affixed thereto at a distal end; and, an articulating joint disposed at an opposite end of each of the holding parts permitting a closing of the pad assemblies towards one another; at least one of the pad assemblies having an outwardly facing concave form, and at least one of the pad assemblies being slidably mounted to a corresponding one of the dual holding parts and actuatable back and forth along a portion of the corresponding one of the dual holding parts in consequence of a motor disposed within the corresponding one of the dual holding parts.
 2. The palm roller of claim 1, wherein the concave form of each of the pad assemblies is a concave shaped rubber pad.
 3. The palm roller of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pad assemblies comprises a heating element disposed therein.
 4. The palm roller of claim 1, wherein both of the pad assemblies are slidably mounted to a different one of the dual holding parts and each of the pad assemblies are actuated by the motor back and forth along the different one of the dual holding parts, but with one of the pad assemblies being actuated in a direction that is opposite to the other.
 5. The palm roller of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the pad assemblies is slidably mounted to one end of a shaft with another end of the shaft being affixed to a flywheel of the motor. 